With the London Olympics closing in, we continue to check out some of the hottest hotels in London
Last week, with the upcoming Olympics as catalysts, we dug deep and inspected three of newest hotels in old London town: St Pancras Renaissance, Corinthia Hotel and Belgraves. But the search is far from over. Below are three of the newest and greatest for the flash jetsetters, daydreaming escapists and modern-day gentlemen planning for a visit to the capital of Great Britain.
Missed the first part of the series? Read it here.
Bulgari Hotel
The newest of the recent crop is the 85-room Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge. Designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel & Partners, the Italian retailer has gone for a similar less-is-more aesthetic as its first hotel in Milan. Those who can’t (or won’t) travel light should book one of the seven 2,100sqft suites, which come with an expansive walk-in wardrobe. With full living and dining rooms, a climate-controlled wine cabinet in the kitchen and butler service, you almost never need to emerge from your luxury lair. But you should, because the 21,500sqft spa is a haven of top-to-toe treatments complete with a gym, hammam and a 25-metre pool made from Vicenza stone.
For Whom: The flash jetset
Neighbourhood: Knightsbridge, SW7
Recommended restaurant: Il Ristorante
Bathroom bubbles: Bulgari
Classy touch: Private cinema
Website: www.bulgarihotels.com
The Zetter Townhouse
Heading east, this kooky Georgian townhouse brings country living to the city, and is just a few steps from sensible and stylish sister hotel The Zetter. Self-described as “the private home of The Zetter Hotel’s eccentric ancestor,” The Zetter Townhouse is British kitsch and wonderfully tongue-in-cheek. There are just 11 rooms and two suites, which are individually furnished with four-poster beds, reclaimed furniture and plenty of modern conveniences. Check out the hotel’s dedicated games room with 3D TV, Nintendo Wii, a Sonos sound system and a full-sized ping-pong table.
Owners Mark Sainsbury and Michael Benyan encourage healthy competition among guests, and host the occasional Wiff-Waff Club meeting for those seeking table tennis fame and glory. But the real fun lies at the Cocktail Lounge – a collaboration between The Zetter and mixologist Tony Conigliaro of 69 Colebrooke Row. The cocktail menu pays homage to Clerkenwell’s brewery and gin distillery heritage, with tipples and homemade cordials inspired by old recipes for tinctures and bitters.
For Whom: Daydreaming escapists
Neighbourhood: Clerkenwell, EC1
Recommended restaurant: Cocktail Lounge
Bathroom bubbles: Ren
Classy touch: Sonos sound system
Website: www.thezettertownhouse.com
45 Park Lane
It’s been almost 30 years since 45 Park Lane operated as the original London outpost of the Playboy Club, but its reincarnation as a Dorchester Collection hotel still retains the air of a contemporary gentleman’s club. The building was given the Art Deco treatment by New York-based Thierry Despont, and while the dark wood and leather decor might scream 1920s, the property is brimming with the latest in gadgetry. All 45 rooms have Hyde Park vistas, and are decked out with marble baths with mirror-mounted TV screens, and king-size beds.
Art is featured prominently on the premises, with works by contemporary British artists such as Damien Hirst, Peter Blake and Patrick Hughes. The double-height ground floor houses Wolfgang Puck’s meat emporium, Cut, where you can pack in the protein alongside more of Hirst’s work on the wood-panelled walls. The striking central staircase leads to Bar 45, which features a menu including miniature Kobe beef sliders and house-smoked pastrami Reubens. Burn off the excess at the 24-hour gym, or better yet, borrow one of the Brompton bikes for a leisurely ride through Hyde Park – weather-dependent, of course.
For Whom: Modern-day gentlemen
Neighbourhood: Mayfair, W1
Recommended restaurant: Cut
Bathroom bubbles: Aromatherapy Associates
Classy touch: Leica binoculars
Website: www.45parklane.com